Columbus, Ga. -
The No. 20 South Carolina Gamecocks defeated 18th-ranked Arizona State 5-3 to pool play and advance to the Gold Bracket of the NFCA Lead-Off Classic Saturday afternoon. USC went 2-1 in pool play and improved to 10-1 on the season. Melanie Henkes pitched six innings and improved to 3-0. Meghan Cornett went 2-for-3 with one run and three RBI, including a solo home run in the first inning.

The Gamecocks recorded five runs and five hits off of Bre DeSanta who pitched four innings and fell to 4-3 on the season. USC held a 5-0 lead in the seventh before Henkes walked two runners with zero outs. Aleca Johnson recorded her second save of the season as she got USC out of the inning and preserved the lead.

The win advanced the Gamecocks into the Gold Bracket of the Tournament and they will face No. 7 Michigan at 4 p.m.